


Something to Fight For

by dolores85



Category: Bright (2017)
Genre: F/M, Interspecies Relationship, Loss of Virginity, Mating Bites, Mating Rituals, OFC written as Jessica Chastain, Orc/Human Relationship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Referenced Kandomere/Tikka, Size Difference, Size Kink, Slow Burn, biting kink, reference to abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2019-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-25 21:50:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13843722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dolores85/pseuds/dolores85
Summary: Ayla Thrain was the best detective on the force in Seattle. She worked for every piece of it. Then she made a mistake that landed her demoted and reassigned to Los Angeles working alongside officer  Nick Jakoby. What starts out as a tumultuous interaction develops into something more than either of them ever anticipated.





	1. The Downfall

Ayla sat quietly as her lieutenant slammed his fist on his desk and screamed at her some more. She intentionally averted her gaze as to not provoke him further. John Dritch was a man to be respected, which she absolutely did. She knew she fucked up. That fine line dissolved completely when she lost her shit and almost beat the suspect to death with her bare hands. Hands with knuckles that were wrapped with gauze and small blood stains spreading along her palm. She couldn’t have stopped herself even if she wanted to. Children were always a sore spot for her and that piece of shit had raped and killed a little half orc, half human girl named Hethra who Ayla had seen not even three months ago after a domestic violence call rang into the precinct. Apparently the mother had gotten out of dodge and left Hetty there with her animal of a father. He sold her to some thugs for smack and they were responsible for her death. She looked emaciated when Ayla had first interacted with her. She tried desperately to get CPS involved but they were overworked and underpaid as it was. Plus, at that time, Ayla had been working another case of a serial rapist/killer in the area. Lieutenant Dritch had assigned another detective to the case of Hetty’s family and as many others before her, and sure to be after her, she slipped through the cracks.

“Are you even fucking listening to me, Thrain?” The lieutenant’s voice was hoarse from all the screaming. As she raised her gaze to him, she was met with a red face and an icy glare. The words “reassignment” and “mandatory therapy” were what she got out of it.

“Yes, Lieutenant... I understand your concerns about me in the field, but I am one of your best detectives-“

“Who just almost fucking killed a key suspect in the Torelli case. A case we’ve been working for the better part of sixteen months, Ayla! It was such an impulsive thing to do and I am astounded that you of all people were the one who did it.” He gestured towards her in disgust. “I would expect thing from Richards or even Hett, but not you.” His voice lowered a bit at the end. 

She knew his irritation didn’t just stem from her actions. It stemmed from what the higher ups were telling him to do because of her actions. Precinct 28 in the middle of Seattle, Washington was her home. It was the first police work she had ever done. She started out as a traffic cop and worked her way up. She fought for everything she had. She was human so her life wasn’t nearly as troubled as an orc’s or as privileged as an elf’s, but it still had its challenges. She came from nothing. Her mother had been a druggie prostitute and she had no idea who her father had been, only that he wasn’t a human. She couldn’t say even her mother knew who or what he was. When she was a child, most nights she spent hungry and cold with her mother working a john in the bedroom or passed out on the couch as Ayla cleaned up the dirty needles and spoons. As soon as she was 15 she got a fake license and got a job working down at the docks. She worked all night long and went to school in the day. She saved up enough money to go to the academy when she was 18. She also had enough money to take a few courses out at the local community college. 

John sighed deeply before continuing, most of the fight out of him. “I cannot stop this from happening. The AG is breathing down my neck and the Commissioner is up for retirement in the next few months. You are going to be reassigned completely.” 

Ayla swallowed the lump in her throat. “Where am I going?” 

“Los Angeles.” She felt her back stiffen. She hadn’t been back since she left all those years ago. She had been born in an abandoned house near the Fogteeth orc territory. 

“When?” She managed to rasp out as her badge felt like a ton of bricks against her chest. 

“Tomorrow. We’ve already booked the flight. The alternative is an entire investigation with internal affairs involved and a rather long unpaid leave of absence in which I would wind up getting told to send you to California regardless.” Lieutenant Dritch finally slumped back into his chair and gestured for her to sit as well. 

“Why there? Why can’t I get transferred somewhere else? Anywhere else?” She couldn’t hold back the desperation in her voice. Her hands moved as she talked, something she did when she was either excited or anxious. 

“There are many reasons for this transfer to L.A. The first being that you grew up there, as unsavory as I know it was. You know that place- all the slums, the elf districts and even all the places we would never dream of going. The second being that the precinct you are going to is in desperate need of more skilled officers-“

“Not detective then.” Her throat was tight as she interrupted him.

“No, not detective.” She looked away and focused on the little Mustang car that he kept on his desk. It was a Hot Wheels car or something like that. Sparkly red paint and a cobra on the hood. “Ayla.” She slid her gaze back up to his. His eyes were sympathetic and almost sad. “You are a phenomenal detective. You saved so many lives and stopped even more from ending. But the law is the law, as you know. We cannot allow this type of infraction to slide by. The public would eat us alive and it would start a precedent that is utterly reprehensible. You may be an officer again, but the experience you have will take you places there... you just have to keep your temper in check.” His voice was extremely soft now, like he was conveying a secret to her. 

She steeled herself and straightened her back even more. “I understand, Lieutenant.” Her answer was clipped and calibrated to match the fake smile she had plastered on her face. She knew no matter what she said that the outcome would remain the same. She was going back to the City of Angels to hunt for the demons that haunted the streets. 

“I’m glad to hear that, Ayla.” She watched as he picked up a Manila folder that had her name on it. “Your plane tickets are in here as well as your new superior’s name. I already took the liberty and spoke to the new sergeant down there who took over for Ching after her death. They plan on pairing you with the two celebrities down there: Officers Ward and Jakoby.” She was surprised they would pair her with two officers who just received some of the highest honors in California. She had assumed the idea was to keep her off the radar and not shoved into the spotlight. Apparently this train of thought was evident on her face as Dritch continued. “I know it isn’t ideal but they are some of the best cops down there. You were, and still are in many ways, the best detective we ever had. You belong with officers of your caliber.” 

She nodded slightly and waited for dismissal.

“Ayla... I need your badge and gun before you leave.”

She couldn’t stop her wince even if she wanted to. Her hands shook slightly as she removed her badge from around her neck and handed it over. Next came the Glock as she unclipped it from her belt. She gently set it down on the desk in front of her. It felt like she was giving up a piece of herself. Dritch reached over, took both items and proceeded to place them in his desk drawer. 

“You’re dismissed, Officer Thrain.”

She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. The dozens of eyes that landed on her as she left Dritch’s office bore through her like steel. Of course many of the other officers fought in her favor, but there were a few who just watched the competition scoot out the door. They wanted her to disappear and never come back. As she made her way through the assorted desks that littered the space outside of the lieutenant’s office, she saw that someone had already packed some of her stuff in box that said “Good Riddance, Killer.” She squelched her anger as much as she could. To react would be to allow them to win, whoever they were, and she refused to let them have the satisfaction. As coolly as possible, she finished placing her few items in the box and emptying out her drawers. Case files abound with sticky notes all over them. She was assigned anywhere from 2 - 3 cases at a time but she often grabbed more cases because she felt the urge to do more. She basically lived there.

Steeling herself again, she picked up the box and held her shoulders straight and her chin high. Fuck them. She would go to L.A. and continue doing what she did best: catching criminals. 

——

Nick Jakoby cruised along, listening to Daryl complain about the fact they still had to patrol even after their heroic acts from a few months ago. Personally, Nick didn’t mind patrolling so much. It was part of his job and his job was to protect the people at all costs. Now that he was a blooded orc, his honor was that much greater. 

“Did you know that Sergeant Slater just assigned us a rookie? What the fuck is that about?” Ward said incredulously. “Never mind the fact that I’ve been shot, thanks to you-“

“Ouch.”

“-I’ve been beaten, thanks to elves and I’ve managed to use a magic wand to kill a crazy ass, she-bitch elf, who by the way was hellbent on destruction and bringing back the Dark Lord so he can kill most of us and enslave the rest. Call me crazy, but I could use a fuckin’ raise and a vacation. Not some newbie who’s going to jump at every little thing and drive my ass crazy.” 

“You know,” Jakoby looked over at his partner since they were at a stoplight, “This could be a great opportunity to prepare someone else to take our spots out here if that’s what you really want.” Daryl looked at him, blinked and then smiled. 

“And who says orcs are all dumb and doomy gloomy. That’s the best conclusion I have heard you come up with.” Nick chuckled slightly and shook his head. The light changed to green and they continued on their way. 

“So who is this new person? Did he at least tell you if it was another human or something else?” Nick asked, genuinely curious now. He wondered if it would be another orc. Someone like him who had forsaken the old ways and embraced being apart of this world despite all the obstacles. 

“Naw. Didn’t tell me shit. Just said that they were comin’ from Seattle and would be paired with us.” Daryl smirked slightly. “Probably some limp dick dude who thinks he’s bad because he watch Cops as a kid.”

“Your optimism knows no bounds, Ward.” Jakoby quipped and sent a side long glance at his partner. He was met with a middle finger, confirming his jab was received. He smiled and laughed slightly. Reaching over to the stereo he turned up some human-y pop song that Daryl seemed to like. Personally he couldn’t knock Daryl’s preferences since he himself preferred Orkish music which was loud, crude and heavy. He drew the line at Mariah Carey though. A man has to have his some of his dignity left. 

He let his mind wander to the new recruit. He would need to get a PowerPoint ready and some print outs. He planned to teach whoever it was everything he knew about being a cop. He believed every race on this earth deserved the same opportunities. Except Kandomere. That elf was an asshole and a half. 

Ward turned down the stereo slightly. He had been on his laptop the whole time recording entries for the day and updating the log.

“So I just got an email from Slater giving us some info on our “new” recruit.” Jakoby noticed the air quotes around the word new.

“And were your suspicions correct? Is this going to be some frat boy wannabe or do we have real officer material on our hands?” 

“I couldn’t have been more wrong and neither could you actually.” Daryl laughed dryly. “Her name is Ayla Thrain. She was a top detective for Precinct 28 in the middle of Seattle. Recently demoted to officer after an incident of excessive violence which lead to a suspect being hospitalized and in a coma as of now. Suspect was orc and accused of raping and killing 6 year old Hethra Lisbon who was half orc and half human. Thrain was placed on probation initially following the incident, blah blah blah.” Ward said skipping over some parts. “... she will be reassigned to officers Ward and Jakoby for further training and assessment.”

Nick was shocked. A detective who was demoted was their new partner. A detective who was demoted for beating an orc almost to death was their new partner... fantastic. Already feeling apprehension, Nick decided then and there to be as non-interactive as possible. He didn’t fear her per se, but he certainly didn’t want to invoke a fight that would cause internal affairs to conduct another witch hunt on him. So no PowerPoint or handouts, thank you very much. 

“Ooohlala, Jakoby. She is fine as hell. I mean, she’s not Sherri, but she certainly is hot.” Ward flipped the computer around as they sat at her another stoplight. Nick’s eyes about bugged out of his head. Hot was an understatement. She was drop dead gorgeous. Beautiful red hair that looked like it was made of silk. The palest blue eyes he had ever seen on a human and not an elf. She had a light dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, which were fair and slightly pink. Her mouth was full and plump and the most beautiful shade of pink. Nick had had his sexual interactions before with female orcs who had agreed to one night stands, but he had never found himself attracted to humans before. He could appreciate them aesthetically, albeit platonically, but this Ayla was something else entirely. Quickly changing his mind again, he planned to be as interactive as possible. Since she was clearly already versed on the affairs of law, he planned to teach her about orcs. Really just one orc in particular. Okay. Himself. 

“Despite bitching about patrolling, it goes a lot faster if we are actually moving when the light is green.” Ward shifted back over and turned the computer back towards himself. “For Chrissakes, Nick. Just jerk one out to her picture later.” Nick’s head whipped around as he picked up speed. Orcs generally didn’t get embarrassed about things and they certainly didn’t turn red like humans, but if he was human in that moment, he would have been fire truck red.

“Is it in your nature to just be as crude as possible.” He huffed, ears twitching in irritation. 

“Holy shit... you think she is hot!” Daryl was all smiles now. 

“Is that not what you just said like two minutes ago?” His fingers tapped anxiously on the steering wheel as he felt Ward’s eyes bore through him.

“It is exactly what I said. But the shocking part of that you agree with me for once. I mean I have never actually seen you with a woman so I just assumed you were gay-“ 

“Okay, we can just stop there.” Jakoby clipped. Gay? No. He certainly wasn’t gay. He knew a few orcs growing up who were but it just never struck him as being true to who he is. He was a loner, though not by choice most times, and in that a certain level of inexperience came along with it. The orc females he had had intercourse with were hardly into him. They preferred a blooded orc with power, not a cop. And if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t care much for them either. But Ayla could definitely be on that list just for looks alone. 

“Oh what? C’mon man, I ain’t never seen you with a woman.” Ward gave him that ‘go ahead and argue with me you know I’m right’ look. 

Clearing his suddenly dry throat, “I prefer a connection that stems beyond just the physical. And not that it matters or is any of your business but no, I am not gay. I have been with a few women.” He cleared his throat again. “And there just wasn’t a spark.” 

“A spark?” 

“Yes. A spark.”

“Jesus Mary and Joseph Stalin...” Ward grumbled as the continued on down the road waiting for the next call in.


	2. Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into Jakoby’s routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone ! Thanks so much for the kudos and comments :) Glad I’m not the only one who dotes on this adorably sweet orc. Please feel free to tell me what you want to see with Jakoby and Ayla and what you feel is good depiction of Ward and Jakoby.

After his shift was over, Jakoby dropped Ward off at home to be with Sophia and Sherri and drove home to his apartment. After everything that went down a few months ago when they discovered Daryl was a Bright, everything changed. He was invited to be a part of their family in every way that counted. He had dinner with them some nights, came to Sophia’s school programs, although most humans still were uneasy around him, and he had even gone as far as to watch Sophie for a few hours when Sherri was working and Ward was too exhausted to get her to her grandma’s. It was the happiest he had ever been... and also the loneliest. He was never more aware of what he didn’t have than when he was with the Wards. He wanted a family of his own though he knew it would never happen. A few sons and daughters to dote on and a wife who cared if he came home or not. He imagined she would be beautiful and kind. 

As he started to remove all his gear, his mind conjured up a fantasy of his family. It was summer time around a beautiful little house with six kids running around (he had always wanted a large family if he could have one), playing with their two dogs. In his mind the children suddenly became half orc, half human. He was standing outside in the sunlight making hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill when the screen door opened and his wife walked through. Her bright red hair was almost golden in the light and her pale blue eyes settled on him and she smiled like she had a secret. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. 

“I love you, Nick.” She would say and lean up for a kiss. She was his world, his life began and ended with her. His beautiful little human. Her skin was so soft and her lips were plump and opening for him. As it ended sweetly he would return her affections.

“I love you too, Ayla.”

His eyes snapped open as he realized he was in front of his bathroom mirror. What the fuck... where the hell did that come from? Well it was a fantasy, his mind was eager to point out. Why shouldn’t you choose who you thought was the epitome of female perfection. His ears twitched at that. It felt... wrong to imagine her that way. She was way out of his league and he didn’t need to start fantasizing about her like that since it would never come to pass. She probably hated orcs. It hurt to think that was the case but it was the most likely option.

He looked at his reflection. For an orc, he was considered very handsome except for filing down his tusks. A male’s tusks were often a sign of strength and virility. The bigger, the better. He personally found them repulsive. He loathed having them. It may have stemmed from his desire to fit in with the world or even his own self loathing he had developed over the years. Regardless, he filed them down every week. His blue skin had a nice pattern to it, or so his mother had said. Patterns mattered as well in their culture. If a male was symmetrical in his patterns, it showed he was more “perfect” than others. Total bullshit of course but he supposed that was what all cultural norms were. Just bullshit to encourage a species to procreate with what was considered better. When he thought of humans, he knew most males liked their females thin and small. In many ways he supposed he liked these qualities as well, which was very much the opposite of orcs of old. They preferred bulkier women who could bear hearty offspring. Never did they mate with humans or elves. It was long believed that the three species could not procreate together and then the fall of the Dark Lord shattered all notions of segregation. He had even seen an orc and an elf together when he was a kid. That was by far the most unusual coupling compared to orcs and humans or elves and humans. If the species were to be analyzed in an hierarchical style, it would be elves on top, then humans, then orcs on the very bottom. Never mind the fact that the actual Dark Lord was an evil elf. Nope, everyone liked to forgot that fact and just blame all orcs for a mistake made thousands of years ago at the behest of the world’s greatest manipulator. 

He clicked his teeth ruefully. He needed to get out of his head for a little bit. Turning towards his shower he finished stripping off his uniform. He turned the hot water on and let it heat up. As he waited he saw his profile in the mirror again. He was a smaller orc but still heavily muscled. His pecs were large and his abs stood out proudly. His biceps were twice that of a normal human male’s. His thighs were just as proportionate. His waist was more narrow than the typical orc but he had a nice V that lead to his groin. It wasn’t a shock to elven or human females who laid with orcs to discover that their cocks were much bigger than the females’ counterparts’. His flaccid cock hung low now against his potent testicles. When erect he was roughly 10 inches in length and his girth was something he couldn’t get his own hand around. The female orcs he had lain with were all impressed with him despite his size. One went as far as to tell him that he should grow his tusks out to encourage more females to lay with him. He grimaced when she said it and hadn’t slept with a female since. 

Ayla came back to his mind in that moment. Only this time she was laying in his bed, nude and looking up at him with total trust. He had no idea what her actual body looked like but his mind did a good job of guessing. Small tucked in waist and long beautiful legs. High breasts with dusky pink nipples that stood erect when she was aroused. Her long neck exposed to him for the mating bite. His cock stirred at the image. Her beautiful red hair fanned out over his black sheets as he leaned over her. 

“Please, Nick...” her imagined throaty moan sunk into his blood like a needle. The exquisite pain/pleasure was an aphrodisiac to him. As mild mannered as he was outside of the bedroom, he needed to be dominant within. He never demanded what the humans called BDSM or for the females to call him Sir or Master, but he did dictate if they were allowed to move, what position, if they could cum or not with his permission. He had never gone down on a female but he knew that if ever given the chance with the red-headed siren, he would lick her for days until she couldn’t cum anymore. 

As his cock twitched and pulsed he knew he didn’t stop the thought soon enough. He would have to take Ward’s advice and masturbate to the thought of her. He would never let Daryl know that because he wouldn’t hear the end of it and beside that, he was private when it came to those things. He wasn’t one to kiss and tell. Which was ironic given he had never kissed anyone before.

As soon as the steam started to swirl around him, he stepped into the spray. The heat always made him relax and feel clean. He lathered up and started scrubbing himself. It didn’t take long since orcs didn’t have body hair but he was always thorough. He had high hopes that the distraction would cause his erection to fade, but tragically the slippery soap sliding along his length made it worse. He grunted and have in to his urges. 

She was laying on his bed again only this time he had maneuvered between her creamy thighs and had started sucking her pretty little nipples. In his mind she was tiny compared to him. He hadn’t seen her height in the brief glimpse of her profile but he knew she was small by looking at her. She would moan for him and grasp the nape of his neck as he suckled her. Her hips would rise to meet him, eager to have him inside her. With a wet ‘pop,’ he would release her nipple and rise above her, letting his cock rest between her hip bones and stretching above her navel. He would watch her shiver and spread her legs even wider for him. Her pink pussy would glisten with arousal. His precume would create a little puddle on her smooth stomach. 

Growling, he would pull back and line himself up with her tiny opening. He would use his other hand to grab behind her knee and stretch her leg up. Finally pressing inside, her heat would burn him and her tight fit would have him panting as he struggled to get his head in. She would mewl and his name would come off her lips like a prayer. Her arms would be stretched above her head in submission. He pushed further inside her a little further, the head of his cock finally sliding inside her fully. She would gasp and quiver. Turning his head, he would nip her raised calf to keep her still. Leaning over her more, he used his hips to leverage more of his fat cock inside of her. Her gasps and moans would fill the air as he filled her body. 

When he was finally seated inside of her, her walls would flutter and grip him torturously. He wouldn’t allow her to fully adjust as he started his rhythm, allowing his upper body to lay on top of her and wrapping both of her legs around his waist. Due to their height difference, he would still have to crane his neck to suck her neck and kiss her lips. 

His hand moved faster as he palmed his throbbing cock, the water sliding over his shoulders. He was close already.

Soon he would feel her pussy tighten around him as she approached her peak. He would slow down and stare down at her.

“Do you want to cum, my little human?” He would rasp at her, his own orgasm on the precipice. 

“Yes... I... uh, I need it...” her pants would become harsher by the second. Her eyes pleading with him for her pleasure.

Nipping her lips and kissing down her chin to her neck, he would whisper against her pulse, “Cum around my cock, little female. Let me fill you up.”

Her screams of ecstasy would fill the room as she convulsed around him. Thrusting two, three more times and he was pulsing inside of her heat. His cum would fill her and overflow onto her thighs as he shoved himself all the way inside her and moaned. 

His cock pulsed and jets of his cum splattered on the walls of his shower. His breath sawing in and out of his lungs and his legs weak. His balls were still throbbing from the output. It had been awhile since he last masturbated. Plus the images of her he had conjured caused this round to be especially intense. 

Releasing his thick cock, he sighed and reached over for more soap. Lathering up one more time and rinsing, he was finally done and stepping out. Thankfully the spray of the shower had washed away all evidence of his fantasy on the walls of the shower stall. 

After toweling off, he walked into his bedroom naked and went through his drawers for a t-shirt and some basketball shorts. It was 07:00 and he wasn’t so tired he needed to crash, so he decided to watch a little TV and eat some Captain Crunch. 

He flipped through a few channels and settled on Westworld. He loved HBO. Game of Thrones hadn’t aired the newest season so he was rewatching the other show he loved. Such was his life and though it was comfortable, he would have given anything to have a female curled alongside him as they talked about his shift and her work. He knew he wasn’t thinking of any female either, just one.

Sighing, he pulled a blanket over him and got lost in the world where all fantasies were real.


	3. City of Angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added a few tags the other day, one of the most noticeable is that I modeled the OFC, Ayla, after Jessica Chastain. I felt she was the best representation of who I thought Ayla was in looks and physicality. Plus she would be adorable up next to Jakoby! I hope to update more regularly and the next chapter should be out soon. Ayla and Nick finally meet ;)

She hadn’t really needed to pack much. Most of everything was still in boxes from when she moved her almost a decade ago. She sold her car, knowing that the Toyota Corolla had served her well but wouldn’t be ideal for where she was going. She was planning on buying an SUV of sorts when she arrived in L.A.

As the plane rattled from some turbulence, she nursed the whiskey she had ordered. She wasn’t much of a drinker but the last few days had certainly warranted the new habit. And she wasn’t much for flying, she preferred the ground. She had no idea how to fly a plane nor pretended to, but she knew she would feel better if she were the one in the cockpit. She was indeed a control freak in all aspects of the word. She needed things to be her way, which made dealing with others very difficult. It’s not that she didn’t accept the fact she could be wrong about something. She just preferred to be liable to her own instincts and not others. 

The captain’s tinny voice came over the sound system alerting everyone that they would all arrive at LAX in approximately 20 minutes. She took another large gulp of her drink, letting the amber liquid burn her throat. She would be meeting her partners soon and she wasn’t thrilled. Officers Ward and Jakoby. The heroes of L.A. The last thing she wanted to deal with were two know-it-all assholes who thought they could rule the world. She was all for good officers who were accountable but she had a feeling these two were going to be a pain. Ward seemed like a hothead judging by his record: multiple right-ups for noncompliance and blatant disregard of the chain of command. They would butt heads, no doubt. 

Jakoby was different. Spotless record with the exception of internal affairs investigating him after his partner, Ward, had taken a round to the chest. The orc who had fired the weapon in attempts to kill Ward was thought to be lost in the alley after Jakoby pursued. According to his statement, he lost the suspect when he had climbed the fire escape and ducked into a neighboring building. Internal affairs had questioned Jakoby due to the fact that the ladder itself was too high off the ground for an average orc (as described) to make the jump to get to it. They alleged Jakoby had aided the orc in escape. Nothing had came of the investigation following the events of the incident that created the two heroes. Those involved had either dropped it voluntarily or reassigned to a different office. 

He was the first orc to ever become a police officer. She had researched him a little due to her curious nature. Youngest son of the family. Had two older brothers and a baby sister. First one in the family to get a higher education. Graduated among the top of his class at the academy. 

He was impressive and no doubt a pariah amongst his peers. To those who didn’t already look down on him, they perceived him as a threat to their status as an officer and/or detective. They assumed his rank had just been handed to him due to his race. Judging by what she read, they were clearly misguided on what “handed” meant. He fought for everything he had, just like her. His family, though loving, was barely middle class. His parents still lived in the small home in Monterrey. His siblings all had decent jobs but nothing like what he had and a cop didn’t make a great salary, as she knew all too well. 

Sucking down the remaining whiskey in her tumbler, she let her shoulders relax against the seat. She was always tense, despite her best efforts. Closing her eyes, she saw Officer Nick Jakoby’s face. He was attractive, though she didn’t need to concern herself with that. She had kept her cherry this long and she doubted it would change. She was too icy to get close to. She knew it, accepted it and moved on. She would probably die alone because she didn’t let anyone get close. Plus this orc would be her partner and that was a recipe for disaster. 

Sighing, she realized she had started thinking about his golden eyes. Orcs were a beautiful race, in her mind. Strong. Intelligent. And above all, loyal to a fault. She had a strong feeling that if Officer Jakoby gave his word on something, it would become law. Elves on the other hand, were devious and manipulative. Their “beauty” existed only on the outside for the most part. Of course she had met some decent elves over the years who broke the mold, but she never anticipated a good interaction with one. 

Officer Nick Jakoby, though... she imagined his politeness and almost awkwardness in the moment. Unsure of himself and his presence in the world. A mirror image of herself. The only difference was that she was human and he was an orc. A beautiful orc, her mind unhelpfully pointed out. She was not someone he would be interested in. A human and a demoted officer at that. Demoted for almost killing another orc. Fuck it, she thought bitterly. No male had ever desired her. Her mother had ruined her in that regard. Men had to earn her respect and appreciation and here she was on a flight thinking about not being good enough for her orc partner. If the LAPD wanted a monster, she would give them one. 

“Good afternoon, folks, this is Captain Jones speaking. We are approaching our destination, so please find your way to your seats and fasten your self belts as we prepare to land.”

Ayla flagged down one of the attendants as they scurried by. She needed another drink before they got all comfy. The disapproving look from the flight attendant made her snort. As if she was the first passenger to not like flying. No one likes fucking flying. If cars were more effective no one would fly. So take that, Janet. 

Please don’t let me die a virgin, Jesus. It worked well for you but I am not an omniscient being who can possibly be reincarnated a millennia from now. I would like to be fucked really good just once in my loner life, she pleaded internally. 

As the whiskey clinked on her tray unceremoniously, she tilted it back and sucked it down in one awful gulp. She closed her eyes and pretended she was in her home back in Seattle. IKEA was her only savior. She enjoyed decorating her home even though no one would ever visit. She would curl up on her couch and watch her Sunday shows. Khaleesi was her spirit animal. If she had dragons, she would be way more effective at her job. She would also fly to work. 

The plane landed with no issues and she waited patiently, albeit a little buzzed, until it was her turn to file out and head into the terminal. She made her way to baggage claim and stood there until her two little black bags came sliding along. Verifying they were hers, which she knew they already were, she snagged them and started to head towards the revolving doors.

She had already ordered an Uber to be there and was relieved to see the car sitting outside. She dumped her bags into the trunk that had popped open and came around to the back seat once she slammed it shut. She plopped down on the seat and gave the directions to her new place to the driver.

She recognized the neighborhood from her youth. It was the place she always wanted to live in. White picket fence with golden retrievers running amok. Perfectly safe place for perfectly happy families. She would stick out like a sore thumb. Unmarried, single woman who works on the police force. 

As they pulled up outside of her new home, she tipped the driver and grabbed her stuff. The movers had already been here to drop off the few pieces of furniture she wanted to keep, but she would still need to go out and buy a few more things. 

The driver sped off once she retrieved her bags but she didn’t go inside just yet. She liked the dark gray-blue of the house with white trim. The door was red (unique and she liked it) and the porch was big enough to have a swing. Definite bonus for her. She loved the fresh air. There wasn’t much of a yard to speak of but no place in L.A. had a yard unless you had fortress walls surrounding it and a seven figure salary or more to maintain it. 

She finished her once over and decided to finally go in. She took the keys out of her pocket and tried a few until she found the correct ones. A decent deadbolt was in order for sure as she looked at the weak locks in front of her. She walked inside and closed the door behind her.

Lots of natural light flowed in and the hard wood floors seemed to gleam because of it. Her kitchen was a decent size with relatively newer appliances. The walls were all white though which bothered her. She would need to paint them something other color. Maybe turquoise. She liked color and lots of it. 

She finished the first floor and moved up the steps to what would be her bedroom. As she walked up she noticed a few of the steps creaked. She would leave them as is until she got a better alarm system. Her bedroom was pretty big with an en suite bathroom. The bedroom itself had hard wood floors and the bathroom had a nice subway tile. The big claw foot tub though is what pleased her the most. It was the main reason she chose this place. She loved bubble baths. She smiled slightly as she walked back out and headed downstairs again. 

As much as she would love to cook in her own kitchen tonight, she had no groceries nor a vehicle of her own yet. Seeing as it was still light out she planned to go to the nearest dealership and get herself an SUV. She sighed as she used her Uber app to get another vehicle.


	4. Cross Section

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ayla finally meets her partners and deals with life back in LA.

Nick stared at Daryl’s indecisive face. For years they have been coming to this diner for breakfast and to date, Ward had never strayed from biscuits and gravy. Yet here they were, ten minutes into looking over the menu, when their usual waitress, Trudy, came over to see if they were ready. Again. 

“Hmm....” Daryl flipped the one-page menu over again. 

“Despite popular belief, orcs do age, albeit it is slower than a human’s....” Nick drawled.

“Despite popular belief, I couldn’t give a shit.” Ward shot back, squinting at various choices like he was actually laboring over his decision. 

Trudy snorted at both of them, “You two get the same thing every time and have this same conversation every time.” She placed her hand on her hip and turned back to Nick. “Would you like your eggs sunny-side up and wheat toast with strawberry jam, honey?” Nick smiled at her and nodded. She turned back to Daryl, “You want the biscuits and gravy with a side of hash browns and ketchup?” Sighing dramatically, Daryl mumbled a yes and handed over his menu, reluctantly. She cocked an eyebrow and headed back to the kitchen.

“Don’t you say a thing.” Ward scowled at him. “I like to look at the menu in case I change my mind.”

“As I await in bated breath for that to actually happen.” Nick said, sipping his coffee. He liked a good dark roast. Smooth and strong at the same time.

“Now ya just bein’ an asshole.” Daryl said halfheartedly, also savoring his cup of morning coffee. Setting it back down, he looked at Nick expectantly.

“What?”

“You know what.”

“With you that could be anything, Daryl.”

“Did you swipe one of those pictures of the new recruit to take home and hang above the bed?” Daryl asked, leaning forward and wagging his eyebrows. The result was immediate as Nick sucked some coffee he was about to drink into his air pipe and started choking loudly. Daryl’s smiled almost broke his cheekbones, “I knew it!”

Clearing his throat after he caught his breath, Nick glowered at him. “I did not swipe a picture of her to hang above my bed, asshole.” He took a napkin and dabbed at a small coffee spot on his uniform, soundly ignoring Ward who had a look on his face which said that was bullshit. 

“Mhmmmm. I’m sure you didn’t. I’m more certain you probably memorized what she looked like for the ole Jakoby spank bank slideshow. The red hair and pale skin...” Nick looked up at Ward who cocked his eyebrow knowingly. “Look man, I been your partner for a fair amount of time now. You have never looked at a woman like you looked at a picture of this one. I really did think you swung the other way. No shit.” Daryl’s face turned more sincere and somber. “There is no reason you should be ashamed of being attracted to someone. Even a human. Especially a human. You may be ugly as fuck but everyone needs someone to fight for.” 

Nick nodded after a moment and cleared his throat quietly. This was Daryl’s way of being encouraging. As ass-backward as it was, it was nice to have someone on his side. “I do find her attractive but that shouldn’t matter. Not because I’m orc and she’s human but because she’s-“ 

He was about to finish with ‘our partner’ but the door swung open behind Daryl’s shoulder and red hair pulled into a high ponytail sauntered in, killing the words before they came out. As she walked towards the counter, he couldn’t help but think she was even more beautiful in person. She was wearing tight jeans with black low-top Converse shoes and a snug fitting black tank top. Her pale skin looked almost ethereal like an elf. He must have been openly staring because Daryl looked at him like he was an idiot then followed his line of sight. 

“Well good goddamn, Jakoby, ask and you shall receive.” Daryl stood up suddenly and walked over to her. Nick saw him in what felt like slow motion. She turned as Ward approached, trading a few words. They shook hands and then Daryl motioned back to the booth Nick was at and gestured for her to follow. Fucking great. He didn’t want to meet her at the damned diner after talking to Daryl about spank banks and loneliness. 

When they reached the table Nick stood suddenly as Daryl introduced him. Jesus. She was tiny. Literally the daintiest female he felt he had ever seen. She was lithe and muscled but small in stature and her head barely came up to his pecs. She could fit perfectly tucked into his side. He must have taken a few seconds to process all of this because she raised her eyebrows at him and smirked. Blinking finally, he was thankful yet again for an orc’s inability to blush outwardly, he reached his hand out for her to shake. “Nice to meet you.” 

“You as well.” She took his hand in a firm grip. Small and mighty crossed his mind. He liked it even better. Her voice was beautiful and soft. Her lips were so pouty and full. Her eyes were captivating. She was taking in everything about him in that moment and he could practically feel her micro-analyzing as she catalogued it all away. 

“Sit down and eat with us. You are our partner now, too, and this is one of our favorites dives.” Ward said gesturing to the booth bench he was sitting in. Ayla eyed it for a moment and then moved closer to Nick, holding his gaze. He looked at her for a moment until it dawned on him that she was going to sit down on his side. Fumbling around and muttering something about making room for her, Nick sat down rather gracelessly and scooted over the bench too eagerly causing a noise that resembled an over the top flatulent. Nick’s ears twitched and he closed his eyes briefly, wondering how this could get any worse.

“Um, that was a- that was the bench. N-not.. ya know.” He made a wave of his hand in explanation. Ward was staring at him with huge eyes. He even mouthed a ‘what-the-fuck’ at him. Nick grimaced slightly and then looked back over at Ayla finally. She was trying hard not to laugh and beamed a smile at him. 

“Thanks.” She said finally, still smirking slightly. She sat down next to him and Ward across from him. “So what do you two usually order here? What’s good?” She asked, trying to diffuse the awkwardness. Nick couldn’t help the snort that escaped him. She looked over at him quizzically. 

He laughed slightly. “Well funny you ask that because Daryl here is intimately familiar with this menu. Despite only ever ordering the same thing. Every. Time.” 

——-

Ayla originally scowled when Daryl Ward had walked up to her. She got her schedule the other day and was due to start work this Monday with him and Jakoby. At first she thought it was just him at Ruby’s Diner, a place she had come to love as she used to eat here after her shifts on the docks, but she quickly recognized the face of the one sitting at the booth Ward had motioned to. She had nodded immediately when he asked her to come meet Jakoby.

When she approached the booth as Ward introduced him and she was immediately overwhelmed as he stood up to shake her hand. He was big, to say the least. He wore muscle on him like a normal orc but was slightly shorter in stature. Some orcs were just bulky and slow. Nick held the weight of his musculature well and had a narrower waist than most orcs. He was definitely more attractive than most. He was more attractive to her than almost any man, or orc, she could think of. 

When he sat down to make her room on the bench and the pleather made the worst sound possible, she glimpsed a little insecurity in him. She could tell he didn’t interact with women a lot. Especially women he found attractive. She could tell by the way he looked at her that he found her to be pleasing to the eye. He seemed to avoid looking at her directly except when he thought she wasn’t looking at him. She could feel his yellow eyes survey her physique. Usually that grossed her out and pissed her off, but from him, she felt flattered and almost warm. 

And now here she was, sitting next to him after he and Daryl traded jabs with each other. It felt completely normal despite her not being one to interact with anyone. She was reclusive and introverted. She preferred solace after years of being self sufficient. She couldn’t trust or depend on anyone. In this moment, it almost seemed like she had been holding herself back from experiencing life. She could have had a partner like Ward or Jakoby if she would have opened up. She could have had a male like Jakoby who cares about her instead of the emptiness the awaited her each night. 

“You okay?” Nick’s voice was soft, but it jolted her out of her thoughts all the same. She noticed Daryl was up at the register and it was just her and Jakoby here. She turned towards him slightly and noticed he was looking directly at her. She met his eyes and he held hers. There was a tension there. Small but noticeable, at least to her. She never reacted to anyone this way. She felt herself wanting to know him better. Hear about his struggles and woes. Encourage him when he needed it. Let him in. She shivered slightly and saw his nostrils flair imperceptibly. He could smell her emotions, she realized distantly. She would have to remember that for the future in case she needed to refrain from feeling aroused, which was a possibility. She watched as his pupils dilated slightly and he leaned slightly closer to her. 

“What’s wrong, little female?” His voice seemed deeper. She shivered again and felt the slightest bit of arousal. His pupils expanded even more as she heard him inhale deeply. So much for keeping her scent to herself. She licked her lips and cleared the nerves from her mind.

“Nothing is wrong.” She whispered back. She saw him cock his head as he analyzed her. “I, um, am not good at interacting with people.” She admitted, surprising herself and him. He seemed like he was about to say something when Daryl walked back to the booth. 

“Y’all ain’t about to make out, are you? I can make myself scarce.” He was looking at the both of them like he knew all their secrets. Ayla felt herself sit straighter and scoot towards the end of the bench to get out. As she stood she saw Daryl was looking at Nick rather than her. She turned around and saw him giving Ward the death glare. 

“Thanks for breakfast, Ward. Next one is on me.” She nodded at him as she tucked her phone into her back pocket and grabbed her keys off the table. “It was nice to meet you, Nick.” Her voice was slightly softer this time. She quickly made her way to the door and left. The whole thing unsettled her. 

As she hopped into her black Dodge Durango, she purposefully didn’t look back into the diner. She backed out and then headed towards the local mall. She needed some supplies for home and the distraction from whatever the hell just went down. Sighing, she cranked the radio up and let her mind focus on the noise. 

About 20 minutes later, she arrived at her destination. She made quick work of hitting Target to get some dish ware. She wasn’t picky and really didn’t care what kind of place settings she had. Hell, she never had anyone over. Then she thought of Nick and the way he looked at her earlier. She sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes. Some distraction this turned out to be. She perused the options a little more thoroughly and finally settled on some black square ceramic stuff. She preferred the heavier stuff anyways, plus black matches everything. She placed the box of ceramics into her cart and looked down at herself. Black top. Black shoes. Older too. Shit. She would need some more clothes too. Seattle, though beautiful, was more befitting of colder attire of which she had an abundance. This particular outfit was like 10 years old and literally the only thing she had close to being “warm weather” worthy. 

She grabbed her cart and hit the women’s clothing section. Looking around she could feel her scowl growing bigger. All of this crap was made for taller, slightly curvier women. She rocked a C cup most days (except on her monthlies when the damn things grew slightly) and wore a size 2S in pants. Scanning one of the last racks, she gave up. To the Juniors section, she thought dismally. She found a few things to try on but didn’t much care for most of the styles. After chucking a few shirts and pants back onto hangers, she settled on a few snug fitting blouses and various pairs of jeans and shorts. 

Grabbing her cart again, she headed towards the checkout when something black caught her eye. There was a negligé that was lacy and sheer. There were multiple straps on it that gave it a submissive look. It also included a soft choker. Not even letting herself think about it, she grabbed and XS and headed to the self-checkouts this time. No need for anyone to snoop around her business. 

She began scanning her items, saving the lingerie last. Naturally when she finally scanned it, the machine read ‘Item Not Found.’ She tried again only to have it prompt a cashier to come over and help her. Son of a bitch, she thought, her blush rising in her cheeks. The young kid came over to assist her and she handed over the offending item reluctantly. The guy viewed the tag and got on his radio, asking everyone in the damned store where “Racy Black Lingerie with Straps and Choker” could be located for a SKU. Ayla stared at the tile she was standing on, wishing she could crawl under it. 

Ten minutes later she had all her stuff in bags and was all but mowing people over to get to her Durango. She grimaced as she placed all the items into the back. She slammed the back hatch shut and threw the cart into the corral. Climbing into the driver’s seat, she rested her head on the steering wheel for a moment and wondered how she could have such an awkward morning in such short time. She groaned and decided she would stay at her house the rest of the day. Lifting her head up, she grabbed her keys out of her pocket and turned the ignition. She quickly moved out of the parking lot back to the bypass.

Another 35 minutes later and she was finally back home. Two trips and a knot on her elbow from the door jamb later, she unloaded all of her stuff, put all the dishes in the dishwasher, and took her little unmentionable upstairs to her closet and shoved it into the back. After closing the closet door she leaned back against it and chewed her lip. Was it too early to drink?


	5. Brief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive my attempts at an actual slowburn. I am very much the type to wants to just jump into the smut but I am hoping to develop some background and plot during this process. Let me know what you think !

Ayla was both anxious to get started and apprehensive to interact as she sat at one of the many long, white- basically picnic tables in the stuffy room, doodling on the morning brief she had printed out. She had been there for about 10 minutes by herself before the other officers started filing in. When she put her new uniform on this morning, she felt a pang of longing for her detective job. She knew she was looking at more than 5 years before she would even hear the word “promotion.”

Sighing, she scribbled more shapes out along the margins of the paper and watched them evolve and change from abstract to personified. She didn’t bother to glance up when the door repeatedly creaked open to announce more entering the room. She finally did look up -and over her shoulder though when she felt a slight prickling sensation like she was being watched. Glancing over her shoulders, she noticed a table full of male stares eyeing her like she was fresh meat. She clenched her jaw and didn’t bother averting her gaze as she met each glare with an icy stare of her own. She refused to bow down to anyone. Male or female. Didn’t matter what race, color, religion or any other defining feature of a living, sentient being. She would never allow herself to be a victim again. She never tried to incite violence but she was more than ready to handle her own should the need arise for it. She was the one who gave up her weapons to make unhinged people relax a little more. She wasn’t altruistic per se, but she definitely put herself in front of the barrel more than a few times for others. So the ‘outburst’ that lead to her demotion surprised the shit out of everyone that knew her at her old precinct. She couldn’t say regretted it though. He was a monster through and through. She had seen enough of them in her lifetime to recognize that level of indifference regarding life was far more dangerous than any gun or knife. 

All the homicides she worked over the years gave her insight into what truly separated crimes of passion and passion of crimes. There were beings in this world that lived to kill, simply put. They had no other desires or wants. The perfect kill was the ultimate goal; she spent years discovering how many different ways that was defined for each sociopath. Some made messes. Some were concise and borderline OCD. Some liked taking things apart. Some liked sewing them back together. The only similarity in each case was the lack of true fulfillment from the act. Killers of this caliber always went further and further each victim. More complexities arose from ingenuity than anything else. There were pattern killers too. Those who found a method that slaked their hunger for enough time to allow them to ability to plan and execute the next hunt. Her backlog at the station, though small compared to others, was immense. Seattle wasn’t as notorious as some other cities but the ratio of cops to the masses was even less than the ratio of doctors. Sadly, many cases went unsolved and stuck in a drawer or lock cabinet somewhere. A person’s life was just another manila file folder of gruesome mystery that didn’t have someone dedicated to reviving the story. Ayla tried her best but she was one person. Little Hettie was an example of her failure to what was necessary to protect life instead of inciting death. 

“Good morning.” A raspy voice barked from the front of the room. Finally drawn back to the front of the room, Ayla saw the voice’s owner: a tall, willowy middle-aged woman who had platinum blonde, pixie hair and deep lines around her mouth. Kidding by the grimace, Ayla assumed they were frown lines rather than smile ones. Guess we’ll find out, she thought just as two forms appeared through the door. Ward and Jakoby slipped past the captain, not unnoticed, and made their way to the table she currently occupied by herself. Ward sauntered around like he wound crush anyone who even questioned him, whereas Nick seemed to hold himself in a way that made her think he was trying to be less imposing, but still proud of what he was. Must be a habit more than anything because of the way most orcs are perceived largely by society as a whole. Ward took a seat on the left of her as Jakoby seemed to debate for a moment before smoothly sitting down in the chair on her right. Again she was struck with how large her was. His shoulders dwarfed her almost comically. The world of crime would be totally fucked if more orcs decided to follow Jakoby’s path. Physically, orcs were the strongest, followed by elves and finally humans who brought up the rear. Elves were still pretty dangerous given their cerebral capacity. What they lacked in muscle was made up in grey matter. Most elves she had come in contact with over the years all seemed to be playing different agendas simultaneously. Like everything was a game of strategy and moving pieces on a board. 

The platinum blonde looked her way for a moment before continuing, “As we all know by now, there’s a new face in the room.” Oh please, no, she thought while internally cringing at what she knew would inevitably come next. “This is Ayla Thrain. She transferred from Precinct 28 in Seattle. She will be paired with Officers Daryl Ward and Nick Jakoby to begin her training.” 

“What? That’s horseshit. She’s a rookie, give her traffic duty or meter maid work. She shouldn’t even be out in the field.” Snarled a male voice from the table she glared at earlier. She could feel herself tense up. Despite being far from a rookie, she would still be treated as one. 

“Shut the fuck up, Menendez. If I wanted your goddamn opinion, I would have asked for it. She’s training with Nick and Daryl. If you don’t agree with that, then I will be happy to assign your ass to the Foghat territory for a month.” A low whistle rang out and one of them muttered to “Menendez” to shut up about it. Pixie cut continued right along after she was certain the officer wouldn’t mouth off again. “Officer Thrain, I know your background with 28 was as a homicide detective- and one of their best, I hear.” Ayla stared back indifferently despite feeling that pang in her chest. “However, you will be doing patrol just like everyone else. I expect you to know better than anyone how important protocol is.” The last part was enunciated enough to set her teeth on edge. She didn’t even know this woman’s name yet and she was being dressed down in front of her new peers. Excellent. Now any attempts at anonymity were null and void. Back into the limelight of her mistake. As they stared at each other, Ayla got the distinct impression that this woman, who was eyeing her with blatant contempt, saw her act as a hate crime like all the others. She was just filed along another hot headed cop who went too far. 

“We look forward to learning what Officer Thrain will bring to the table with her experience, Ma’am.” Jakoby said, surprising her. “We rarely get time with the current detectives to train with them and learn the basics. This will really help erase that knowledge gap between us and the them. Maybe we could even catch things we normally wouldn’t consider.” She didn’t know what to say to that as she eyed his profile. She saw his nostrils twitch slightly, he was smelling her reaction.

“Well can’t be worse than workin’ with Menendez’s stank ass breath that smell like the ass end of a dead skunk,” Ward commented dryly. “I can’t tell if he eats shit or kisses Hall over there.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the table. The one she figured was Hall started to get up like he was going to start a fight until Menendez gestured for him to sit back down. Hall scowled and flipped Ward the bird. She assumed that was his way of defending his partners.

“Shut up, Ward. I don’t want another fight in here. Took us three weeks to get the funding to replace the tables that were demolished, unless you want me to bring school desks in here?” Pixie-blonde’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

——-

Jakoby knew before he had entered the briefing room that Ayla was there. He could smell her sweet scent lingering in the halls leading to the door. It wasn’t a strong scent by any means, but he picked it up like a blood hound nonetheless. It reminded him of nature, clean and fresh, almost a flowery musk. It didn’t smell like the chemicals that were contained in the normal perfumes, soaps and such. This was much more organic and much more addictive. He tried not to let his nostrils flare when he smelled her. That proved to be an Olympic sport as he never realized how obvious it was for him to smell someone and them not notice. But she definitely did. She was extremely observant and her intelligence honestly scared the shit out of him. Not because he was afraid she was smarter than him, though she most definitely was, but because she knew when to use it and when to conceal it. She was hard for him to read at times and probably impossible for humans. Her face gave away nothing. Her eyes could remain steely. But her smell. That’s all he needed to gather little deets on her. 

Speaking of, she was about eight shades of pissed when he got in there and took notice of the recipients of her ire. His instincts took the wheel and guided his happy ass right next to her. He had planned on sitting near her anyway, but this felt more like he needed to protect her. He wasn’t trying to kiss her ass by saying the information she carried with her from her prior job was advantageous for them. They could learn so much from her if she were willing to divulge. He caught a brief whiff of surprise followed by humor thanks to Ward and quickly back to anger again. He disliked the smell of her anger. It was like fiery embers to him. He knew she didn’t need help but his more primitive side failed to take the hint. He wanted to beat Menendez and his little menagerie into a pulp on the ground for this woman. He wanted their blood and viscera all over the walls to represent his rage and then he wanted to take his woman from behind in the mess to show dominance. His ears twitched at the thought. What the actual fuck. He had never even felt a shred of that until just now. He wasn’t a male prone to violence unless it was necessary. He was reserved and less brutish than most of his species. 

He let his gaze briefly flick towards her. Her hair was pulled back again but in a low ponytail with beautiful red locks cascading down her back. Her high cheekbones and full lips made her look like a goddess. The uniforms were never usually flattering on females but her small form definitely made it sexy for him. Small tucked in waist and flared hips. Perfect for bearing children. He snapped his gaze back to the front of the room, lest she somehow pick up on his train of thought. Fuck. Why did he have to always go through this loop when he was around her. Same with when he just fucking thought about her. 

It always came full circle back to wanting to mate her. Not have sex. Not have a casual fling. But full bore mating. Orkish biology was very similar to some animals in that the male would lay a claim to the female by biting the meat between her neck and shoulder. Most males did both sides to ensure the female would accept the claim. Some females would fight the prerogative, claiming that they were bitten against their will. Sometimes they won, but most times, they did not. Males of his species were almost always dominants. There were a few submissive males over the centuries but they were rarely talked about. Submissive didn’t mean exclusively homosexuals as some males preferred stronger females to dominate them. He liked to think himself a moderate but apparently that was bullshit. He wanted her balled up beneath him as he ravaged her. Ugh. Stop, Nick. 

Rolling his eyes slightly and offering a small chuff, he focused on the map detailing their routes. He and Ward would be taking the Fogteeth territory again. Well, he, Daryl and Ayla would be taking it. He grew tired of the same routes some times, but since being blooded, the Fogteeth territory turned out to be one of his favorites. He got tons of tips about criminal activity - always related to other orc gangs of course - but was still able to deter a vast amount of violence and death. He was anxious to take Ayla there to show her his status. The other part of him loathed taking her anyway near other orcs. Male orcs, specifically. 

Once dismissed, the teams started filing out to hit their routes. Daryl flipped off Menendez as he left and then quickly got up to hit the lockers and call Sherri to let her know they would be in the “safer” territory since she worried so much about him after him getting shot. He and Ayla were the last ones left, so he made a move to get up.

“Thank you.” His startled slightly at the sound of her voice. He noticed she was looking down at the doodles she was making on her paper. Cute. His ear twitched again. He cleared his throat slightly.

“For what?”

She looked up at him for a moment before letting her gaze drop to his badge. She took a deep breath.

“For acting like I still matter.” He watched her eyebrows draw together as she frowned. “I know you don’t know me at all. You probably think I’m another racist asshole who attacked an orc for no other reason than what he was.” Jakoby felt himself stiffen slightly, seeing where this conversation was going. She looked up from his badge and he saw the level of determination in her eyes. “I didn’t attack him because he was an orc. I attacked him because he was an animal. He abused and killed a child and that to me is unforgivable.” She licked her lips before she continued. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but I admire the shit out of you for being who you are and merging that with all of this.” She gestured around the room. To say he was stunned was an understatement. Of all the ways he imagined a scenario like this, never did the words “admire” and “you” go into the same sentence or even the same paragraph in regards to him. She must have noticed his shock because she dropped her gaze and stood up, with a small sigh. She nodded at him once before walking out the door two seconds before Daryl came back in. 

“Sherri is pulling a double today and her mom is watching the kid.” Ward sighed in relief. “I love my girls but man I need some time to, well- be a man, if ya know what I mean.” Ward cracked his neck and stretched out before noticing Nick was sitting like an idiot, still staring after the door. “Do orcs turn into gargoyles too or is that just you who does that shit?” Daryl quipped.

“She said she admired me...” Jakoby said, almost in the form of a question because it was hard to even consider her saying it.

“Who did?” Daryl asked. “If it was the captain, I’m calling bullshit. That bitch don’t like anybody.”

“Not her. Ayla. She said she admired that I was an orc cop.” Jakoby tried and failed to keep himself from puffing up slightly at the praise. 

“Good. That means you’re that much closer to getting your dick wet.” Ward clapped him on the shoulder as he glared up and felt himself almost drool over the thought of getting her wetness all over him.

“You have absolutely no couth, do you?” Nick mumbled as he gathered his sunglasses off the table. 

“Not one iota. So I expect juicy details once you finally give her the Orkish Warhammer.” Ward made a fist to emphasize his point. Nick stopped and stared at him for a second. He shook his head and then moved towards the door. “What? Why did you shake your head?” Daryl asked, following.

“I was deciding if another internal investigation was worth the pure joy I would feel from shooting you.” Daryl’s laughter followed.


End file.
